The 2025 NFL Draft class is full of unknowns. Unlike in the previous two seasons, there’s no consensus selection to be picked first. Bryce Young and Caleb Williams were both Heisman winners touted as No. 1 picks roughly a year before they were actually selected, making them the ‘easy choices’ to be drafted first.
But no such case exists this year. Sure, there are frontrunners, like Colorado’s two-way sensation Travis Hunter, or his teammate Shedeur Sanders. Plus, there is a surging Cam Ward, who’s developed into a dual-threat superstar quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes.
Yet again, none of these players are surefire choices to be drafted first. But that won’t prevent some NFL draft analysts from making early projections.
Shedeur Sanders has ‘best chance’ to be the first pick in 2025 NFL Draft
Like most years that don’t have a Caleb Williams-level talent, the first overall pick will likely depend on who the worst team is, and whether they have an urgent need for a quarterback. Right now the Jacksonville Jaguars are projected to have the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but they’re not moving on from Trevor Lawrence.
Related: 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Who drafts Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward?
So if the Jaguars got the first pick, chances are they’d either stand pat and take someone like Travis Hunter who can fill needs on both sides of the ball. Or they could of course trade the pick to someone who does covet a franchise quarterback with the first pick.
Still, of the available options, who has the best chances to be drafted first? According to ESPN’s NFL Draft expert Matt Miller, the answer is Shedeur Sanders.
“(Shedeur) Sanders. The four-year starter was a standout at Jackson State in 2021 and 2022, and he has been awesome since arriving at Colorado before the 2023 season with his father, Deion Sanders. Shedeur Sanders is tough in the pocket, has excellent field vision and shows consistent pinpoint accuracy to all levels of the field. He must speed up his process some and play more on schedule, but Sanders has proven over the past two seasons that he’s a top quarterback prospect in this class. His 73.4% completion rate is third in the country, and his 30 touchdown passes are tied for second.”
ESPN’s Matt Miller on Shedeur Sanders becoming No. 1 pick in 2025 NFL Draft
Since Sanders has been considered a first-round talent for multiple years, his draft projection here shouldn’t be a big surprise. While he’s not the dual-threat weapon that Cam Ward is, Sanders should be able to lead a more proficient passing offense early on, even as a rookie.